I began a post on my 2018 reading resolutions a few days ago. It was so boring I fell asleep. Hell, it was so boring it put my dog to sleep. Don’t believe me? I began with a section on time management. TIME MANAGEMENT. And while that might be a very worthy endeavor, and there are quite a few very good books that tackle the subject, why would I ever inflict something like that on anyone nice enough to visit here?

But I understand why these beginning of the year posts are so popular. I, too, enjoy listening to other readers talk about how they plan to organize their bookshelves, set up their libraries or (my personal favorite) how long they hope to maintain the delusion that they will not be purchasing any books for the next 12 months. I also get a surprising amount of pleasure from reading about all the different challenges, whether my favorite blogger will be spending March reading Japanese or German literature, and marveling at how many books someone will read in the upcoming year. I don’t understand why I find these things so fascinating, but I do.

AND YET…. when it comes to writing about my own goals… I don’t know… if I can’t summon the interest how can I expect others to?

It’s not that I don’t LOVE making lists. My goal setting usually gets done during slow periods at work in one of the softcover notebooks I carry with me at all times. These notebooks contain lists of review ideas, improvements I want to make to the site, posts/articles I promised to write for other sites, books I want to read, and general non-reading-to-dos. I also like to make diagrams – flow charts with lots of bubbles connected by arrows . Part of what makes this format appealing is that it’s messy and visually interesting. And how do I duplicate on a website?

But goals are being set and this is the time to share them So below are a list of a few I hope to complete in 2018.

1. I’m a judge for the Best Translated Book Award this year, so for the next six months that is going to dictate what I read. But even without my consciously curating, I am still finding connections between seemingly random books. I like it when the books I read inform each other – when patterns develop. For example: one topic that keeps coming up, perhaps because it is on my mind, is human migration. So many stories in translation are about refugees, expatriates, asylum seekers, immigrants, Diasporas – all pretty words describing a terrible thing: people forced to find new homes. The reasons why men, women and children leave their home countries and what happens to them is a big topic, but I think an important one. And I find myself understanding it better thanks to some great writers. So, while I don’t really like reading by country, I do like reading (and reviewing) books clustered around a specific topic. I hope to do more of that in 2018.

2. You may have noticed that a Bookwitty affiliate badge has been added to my sidebar. Bookwitty is a website designed to help readers discover books through personalized recommendations and member generated content. You can buy books directly from the site and Bookwitty will ship them to you anywhere in the world for free. (I suppose they’re a little bit like Goodreads, but with a simpler interface and minus the evil corporate overlord).

Today, 98% of books published go completely undiscovered, with major marketplaces focusing only on the 2% that turn into best-sellers. We believe that there is a vast wealth of knowledge, ideas and entertainment in the books that go undiscovered, and it is our goal to help people find the right book for them in that vast catalogue. – Bookwitty

I’ve been keeping this blog since 2009, and in that time I’ve received other offers that would have allowed me to “monetize”. Everything from hosting blog tours and ad content, to setting up an Amazon affiliate or Patreon account. I’ve always said no because I felt it might compromise the quality and integrity of the blog. But I like Bookwitty – I like the site and I like their message. For those who would like an opportunity to support the site financially, they offer a non-intrusive way to make that available, which is nice too. So…in addition to the nifty new badge, book titles in my reviews will include links that takes you to a page on Bookwitty where you can buy the book and I will receive a commission on the sale. And that’s it. There is never any expectation on my part or obligation on yours to do so. Just the fact that you come here for your book recommendations means the world to me. Thank you, as always, for your support.

3. I’ve never participated in an official reading marathon before. But this year I have a hella-lotta books to read and too little time to read them. So on January 27th & 28th I am attempting to read for 24 out of 48 hours as part of the 24 in 48 Reading Marathon, inspired by Dewey’s 24-Hour Readathon. I’ll be posting my progress on social media all weekend long – so check back on the blog, my Instagram account and twitter (it may be the most I’ve ever posted to social media EVER – another marathon event, I guess). As we get closer to the date I will start putting together my TBR stack, discuss strategies, maybe even train. It’s all incredibly silly and ridiculous – which is why I am IN.

4. WRITE EVERY DAY – whether I post it or not, I need to get back into that routine.

5. And, finally, for those of you who came here with a burning desire to read about my time management strategies for 2018 and now feel cheated – below are some of the books that are currently rocking my OCD-world.

That comment about the illusion of book buying bans shows you know us only too well. I did manage it for 3 months last year, slipped a little, got back on track but then went astray big time at the end of the year. Oh well, it is good for the authors and the economy …….
I’m good at planning – not too hot at keeping to reading plans so this year I have abandoned them and declared 2018 to be my year of ‘reading naked’

“98% of books go unnoticed” … that’s a devastating statistic for a debut author, eh?
That’s why I have a focus on a neglected area of the literary world i.e. Australian and New Zealand fiction, and why within that I pay special attention to debut authors struggling for air in the crowded marketplace and to small indie publishers who don’t have the publicity budgets of the dominant conglomerates. I know that what I do has some impact, which makes it worthwhile:)
Re your current topic, I’ll take this opportunity, if I may, to bring to your attention the most recent book I’ve read about the diaspora experience. It’s called Sodden Downstream by New Zealand/Sri Lankan author Brannavan Gnanalingam, and it’s about the exploitation of these people who are often the backbone of the unseen industries like cleaning offices. See https://anzlitlovers.com/2017/12/20/sodden-downstream-by-brannavan-gnanalingam/